February 25, 2015

You know how you buy a house….paint the rooms and decorate it to your liking? Then you go about your life….You’re busy raising your kids, working and just doing stuff. Then one day, you stop and look around and everything seems run-down? So, with that being said…please don’t judge me.I forgot to get “before” shots of this makeover and did the best I could after we started. I painted this bathroom back in ‘04. I made 8” stripes on the wall in the exact same color but different sheens. If you look closely you can see the sheen of the satin paint next to the flatter eggshell sheen.Step 1…..We removed the HUGE 7ft by 4 ft. mirror (without breaking). Not an easy task but we did it. Above are the remnants of the Black Mirror Glue that I hear is the best mirror adhesive.We removed all the glue spots and patched them up.Bought 2 matching decent sized mirror from Kirklands….on sale (cha-ching). Glued them to the wall, with a waterproof adhesive for mirrors.Then onto this wasted space under the vanity. For the record… I’ve never sat in a chair to apply make-up here….ever….It just became a dumping ground. (Sorry about picture quality)We removed the quarter round along the baseboard under the entire vanity. We matched the baseboard for this section and put new quarter round in. We made a lower shelf and a second shelf above. Now this space is good for something.With the mirrors installed….the brass lights replaced with a bronze antique fixture to match the frames. All the other fixtures (faucets, light switch plates, towel rods, etc.) were replaced with nickel fixtures.The area between the two mirrors was a bit sparse…so we added a small cabinet. This one had no crown molding at the top or fascia on the bottom, so we added that after install.While painting the walls, it’s very easy to get the wall paint onto the ceiling.Instead of touching up the ceiling…we just added crown molding to the entire bathroom interior. Towel racks were replaced by hooks.Baskets placed into the lower portion of the prior bench area under the vanity. Shoes on the upper shelf for easy access.New rug from amazon.Now, if I can just keep my junk contained to the little plate under the cabinet…I’ll be happy.View 2View 3All of this cost us less than $750.

February 21, 2015

I am so excited to share this with you. I haven’t worked on my doodle directory in a few years. Recently I finished another 60 doodle images that make the 6th set in my doodle directory series. I've done a few simple drawings in this set which I haven't included in previous sets.I’ll show you a little behind the scenes drawing as these doodles came together.If you’ve been following my Instagram account then you’ve probably seen these before.But it’s fun to revisit them here.I find that as I’m working on my bigger projects like my Ballerina and Diver and since I can’t (or won’t) lug these drawings to work or on vacation. That doodling in my small moleskine, keeps me sane and happy. My hand still gets line practice and my head stays in the game with colors and shapes. And as far as my drawing goes…..doodling has definitely helped…..hands down I am influenced by so many artists out there. And half of them probably don’t even claim the label “Artist”.I’ve seen a ton of wonderful doodle work on Instagram, by fellow doodlers, illustrators, painters, watercolorists, art journallers, and zentangle people. So much inspiration!! Instagram has a whole community of artsy-doodley interactive and like minded folks.Artists are a sensitive lot….but we have to get over that and show our work. I’m not one for “closet artistry”. It’s amazing the motivation and suggestions that people give from blog post feedback and instagram sharing. I’ve worked more in photoshop on this last set. I wanted the colors more consistent.Photo-editing is a must if you want to put these kind of things up for sale.Now, back to the GIVEAWAY! Just a couple of things to qualify.

That’s it. Pretty easy. And just because I can….I’d like to offer a discount in my etsy shop for the full set as well.That’s 60 4x6 prints with 6 doodle squares on each print. An amazing 360 separate doodles.Just use code DOODLEFUN for a 30% discount.Prints come as above. As 4x6 pictures.Enjoy your doodling and Good Luck!!

February 4, 2015

The making of a DIVER….drawing style. This only took me one year to complete! First post here back in Feb 2014.I started out having the diver in a blue suit.Then in March after my daughters college Swim & Dive championship….I decided to make the suit fit her team colors. Wasn’t sure where I was going with that choice, but it seemed the right one at the time.After putting the drawing aside for a few months….I’d pull it out for a day or two and darken the colors.Then I’d forget about it for awhile.I think I figured out why I slacked off so much…..I was only working with 2 colors….Skin-tone and Green. And boredom set in.I even pulled out my anthropologie swim glass to keep my motivation up! It seemed to help Since these babies can start taking over a room fast, at 22x30 inches. I kept the framing simple. Purchased a premade frame during the half off sale and framed it without the mat. She’s not my proudest piece…but I’m glad that she is done. I must say, if I drew a diver that I knew then I’d feel differently about this piece. But I gotta practice somewhere and my photography skills are a bit weak

About Me

By day...I work in the Healthcare field, where every .. i.. has to be dotted and every ..t.. has to be crossed. This blog is the place where I can let myself go and have some fun.
I am on a journey. A journey I started a long time ago, but
it has been a bit sidetracked with Navy Wife relocations and raising kids. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I have got some time for me. No, I will not be one of those moms walking around the house with Empty Nest Syndrome, I have got way too much to do, to learn, to create. Sure, once the kids are gone I will miss them....but hey, there is always the phone, the email, the texting and the Plane tickets! I love my life and my family and It is fun moving into this new stage.
I am into Digital Scrapbooking, photography, journaling, Art Journaling and Drawing. I am a do-it-yourselfer and I am trying to teach myself to draw. I am finding that it takes a lot of patience, lots of practice and a good eraser!
And if you're really curious there's a 3 part Interview by Eileen:
HERE
All the best,
Eden